Boonville Engine Show, October 12-14

Fall engine shows are coming right up!  Boonville, Indiana is in two weeks and Pinckneyville will be the weekend of October 20.  Back To The Old Grind!  (Faultless Engine powering this grinder.)

We're Goin' Downhill Now!...

...has become one of our favorite expressions; mostly about anything to do with being (way) past 35.  The sun is south of the centerline now when it rises, so we are into Dark Time now.  It will be a long time before the days are longer than the night.

Weekend Steam: More 60009 From South Africa

Many Thanks again to Merle for being our spotter!

Nightmare In The Laundry Room

We did some de-constructing tonight in preparation for a plumbing project.  The box had shaved the insulation off of a wire at a time in the past; either forty some years ago or recently during another part of our basement renovation project.  The house has not burned down and nobody has been electrocuted, so we feel good. The breaker is taped down and this will be properly repaired tomorrow.  It's always something.

Dramatic Weather

Three inches of rain in the early morning!  It started yesterday about the time the dogs were waking up, and it continued through their second walk after they had been fed.  Sheesh!  I drove through about a mile of water up to the rims because we don't have good ditches.  Fed Big Jack, walked him, and drove back through the mile of water.  The rain was mostly gone the rest of the day, but at sunset a few showers were dancing around to make the sky interesting.

Today was dry, except for some light showers in the early morning as a front passed through.  We saw a few farmers shelling corn today, so yesterday's rain was intense enough that it ran off rather than soaking in. 

The District Forester toured the timber today while re-inspecting us as Tree Farmers.  I handed her the new stick so the right side was showing and told her to flip it over.  You should have seen the smile on her face!

Ruger's Auction To Benefit Honored American Veterans Afield

Ruger's offering this week should make your heart skip a beat.  If it does not excite you, you might want to go in for a checkup.  This is a M77 Ruger Hawkeye African in .223 Remington with a 23 inch barrel.  It was built in 2013, and this is a rifle to die for.  The price is not out of line as we post this, so CLICK HERE, read all about it and place that winning bid!  $1361.01

Tuesday Torque: A Forty Year Project

Through the magic of the Internet we can try to go back and revisit our memories.  I spotted a flywheel through a hole in the side of a shed when I was going up Buck's branch forty years ago, and then went there after work to check it out.  The 9 HP Sears and a bur mill were in the shed, which had been recently damaged by a back hoe.  The gas line markers in this photo were behind the shed, and the engine ran on gas supplied by that gas line.  Both the engine shed and the miller's home are long gone.  (Google Earth image)

The man who lived here was the son of the miller, and he was glad to see a collector get his artifacts so there would be hope for them.  We moved to Illinois a couple years later and brought the engine and mill with us.  Gary Bahre took the engine under his wing a couple years ago and has made it look factory-new.  The new underslung cart with the Case threshing machine wheels really makes it a beautiful showpiece.  Gary has just finished installing the original ignitor with a Webster magneto that he rehabbed so the Sears looks like it did when it left the Evansville factory in 1920.

I See Paint Specks In My Future...

Back To The Old Grind!  (This is WAY better than painting with a roller!)

Make A Better Biltmore Stick

Way back in time, our Forest Measurements professor at Mizzou handed out blank sticks and had us do the math in class to make Biltmore sticks that fit.  My stick is long gone, but it worked better than a store bought stick because it was made for my reach distance.  A homemade hickory Biltmore is a much better companion on a woods walk than a maple stick.  You can use it as a walking stick if you need it, and you can fend off a vicious dog should the need arise.

The Buck's Branch Sears Is Done!

Gary got our baby running today on the new mag!  Photo Credit: Gary Bahre

Model T: 110 Year Anniversary

The Model T was introduced by Ford on October 1, 1908. They made more than 15,000,000 by the time production ended in 1927. This video shows some of the engineering that went into the T, and a bit about driving it. Model Ts are fun cars to play with, but the two wheel brakes, slow highway speed, and splash oil system make them a poor choice for highway touring in today's high speed, congested world. Restoring one will hone your mechanical skills, and they make a good family project.

Ten years ago we posted Dyke's Ford Supplement on this blog in celebration of the centennial of the Model T. The link is provided below. You can click on each image and then save it for reference, just in case a vintage Ford is in your plans.

TrueBlueSam Dyke's Ford Supplement

Weekend Steam: Big Boy Restoration Update!

This project is slated to be operational in May, 2019!  Merle spotted this video, and it has lots of good information and pictures.  Thank You, Merle!